"How strange is it that even a very minor event, action, or small shift can have such a tremendous effect? Like a butterfly's wing is capable of altering the path of a tornado, certainly everything, even the very tiny think can effect everything."

-Tuwalily

<>

Heyyy
I wish I could give y'all an explanation for the 2 month long absence, but I really can't. I've almost completely slipped out of the Naruto fandom, for now.

The thing with me is that what I'm currently watching/reading fanfics about is what I'm capable of writing about. It's the clearest in my mind, and I'm the most interested in that. I can still fairly easily crank out one shots, but updates for a book are harder. I have a MILLION things in my drafts from eighty different fandoms. I planned a couple chapters ahead in this book knowing that this would happen to me, and once I get back into Naruto, I'm going to have to do it again, because I bounce from fandom to fandom aimlessly.

For example, I'm currently obsessed with Miraculous Ladybug (don't judge me pls it's my comfort show) But before that it was Percy Jackson. Before that it was the Marvel, the Sisters Grimm, then Supernatural, and before that it was Avatar the Last Airbender, and I can keep listing things (if you notice the trend of kids books/shows no you didn't, I'm sad 💀💀). I'm surprised I still have friends at this point.

So I've decided that I'm going to strategically put myself back into Naruto eventually, after my obsession with MLB dies down a little, or I could just try to watch both. But exams are coming up (my AP exam is in the beginning of May, so that's scary), so I'll try to balance everything as well as I can. I'm sincerely sorry that the updates have been so few and far between in the past few months.

Hopefully this update comes out within days of the other one, because I usually find fight scenes easier to write than worldbuilding/character development. Things have been moving veeery slowly with this book, and I bet a bunch of you are like "Julia, get to the point!" And I'm like, "I'm tryyyyinggggg"

I HAVE an idea for where this story is going. It's not anything solid, but hopefully sometime within the next few days I should be fixing that. Some things I already know for certain, but I'm going to find it difficult to tie in, etc etc. I've been thinking of asking one of my unbiased friends to beta for me, but I'm not sure if they can bc they're all super busy, so bear with me, k?

I DESPERATELY want to finish this book, so don't feel like I'm giving up on it. This is my baby, my brainchild, and should be the longest thing I've ever worked on. Consequently, this is going to be the hardest thing I've ever worked on.

I don't mention this enough, but I love every single one of you for coming back to read this. I know how hard it is to keep interest in a story that updates once every three months, and all of you own my whole heart for that, so thank you ❤️

- Julia

<>

Kisame Hoshigaki was someone that Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze didn't love thinking about.

In fact, Naruto preferred to keep the man as far away from his thoughts as possible, usually.

Unfortunately, when the man showed up at his house, there really wasn't much one could do to block him and the horrible memories from his mind.

Let me start from the beginning.

Naruto woke up in the morning tense- he'd barely gotten to sleep last night, anxious. He proceeded to have an embarrassing, childlike mental breakdown in front of his parents, and had barely made it through breakfast without Kushina interrogating him to find out if he was okay.

Kushina had brought up therapy for him. She said it was like maintaining your physical wellbeing, that it was important to keep up your mental wellbeing as well. Everyone knew that Kushina Uzumaki was very pro-therapy.

Naruto knew that his mom had been through some horrible shit, and she was definitely a lot better now than she was, and therapy had been a huge part in that. Kushina had apparently went through a depression right after Naruto was born, postpartum mixed with reminders of the trauma of Naruto's birth and Minato had been desperate to find some way to help his wife. That had lead to him recommending therapy to Kushina.

Kushina wanted to get better for Naruto's sake, because there were days where the woman hadn't been able to get out of bed, and she had just had a child, so she had known that that kind of thing wouldn't be able to fly for long. So Kushina set up a deal with her good friend Inoichi, who was also licensed in therapy. Every Tuesday, the two would meet up, and she would talk about her feelings. Sometimes she wouldn't talk- sometimes she would draw new seals, or play chess with Inoichi instead, but she was required to go every Tuesday. She had told Minato at the beginning to make her go- to not allow her to stay home, because then she would get worse.

A month before Naruto turned one and a half, Kushina was finally her old self again. She was dancing around the house with Minato, kissing Naruto's cheeks so much that Naruto swore he would never live it down, and finally she was able to do what she loved. Kushina hung out with her friends, she took an active stance in many different charities, and helped the people in her village as much as she could.

Therapy had worked for his mom, and Naruto knew that therapy was a very good thing for all sorts of people, but... there was no way that something like that would be good for four time travelers, as much as they might need it.

And boy, did they need something like that. Kakashi was hypervigilant, practically paranoid. Sasuke had trouble sleeping. Sakura had just lost her parents again. Naruto was the one doing the best out of all of them, and even he had problems with sleeping and eating too little occasionally, more out of habit than consciousness. Kushina always forced him to eat when she noticed that he wasn't, so he really had no excuses.

But how would they explain to their therapist why they feel how they feel? Because there was no way that a normal child Naruto's age with a safe, happy, healthy home should have PTSD from a war, because there hadn't been one in his lifetime. How would he explain that he missed his friends? How he missed the old Sai, the old Neji, Hinata, Obito and countless others? Because all of those people were alive, well and walking the street of Konoha right now.

They would decide that Naruto and the others didn't have the mental health needed to become a shinobi, and then Naruto wouldn't be able to do what he needed to do.

And maybe his parents would be disappointed in him for hiding how he felt. Maybe his parents would hate him for lying. And he could not lose his parents.

Anyways, after his embarrassing slip up, Naruto ate his breakfast and lied to his mother and father. 'I'm fine, I was just freaking out because Dad almost died.' He had said, which wasn't entirely wrong, but wasn't the whole truth.

Then, said parents had gone to work. Minato had kissed Naruto on the head and shunshinned to his office, where mountains of paperwork awaited. Kushina left to meet with a potential benefactor for a charity that she supported. And Naruto was left at home, because there was no Team 7 meet up today.

So Naruto busied himself with cleaning up- he made his bed and put away his dirty clothes before his mom could kill him when she came back, carrying dishes downstairs.

And that was when the doorbell rang.

Naruto, holding a stack of empty cups and a stack of dirty plates, opened the door carefully, poking his head out.

Two ominous figures stood before him- both dressed in all black, wearing string hats on their heads. And Naruto groaned.

"You guys chose to come at a really inopportune time." He told the Akatsuki members who were here to kidnap him, opening the door. "Come on in, I'll make us some tea."

Kisame exchanged a glance with his companion, and the two stepped inside. Naruto kicked the door closed behind them and made his way to the kitchen.

"My parents tell me it's dangerous to talk to strangers." Naruto said cheerfully as he put the cups in the sink and pulled the tea kettle out of it's spot. He filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove, turning it on, before he turned around to face the Akatsuki who had followed him into the kitchen curiously. "But you two aren't exactly strangers, are you, Kisame Hoshigaki and Jūzo Biwa?"

Kisame blinked in surprise, before he burst out laughing. Naruto's face split into a shit-eating grin, and he focused on pulling tea bags out from the cupboard. Jūzo remained silent, his face hadn't changed even a shade, but Kisame still laughed.

"The kid invites us into his house for tea even though he knows who we are." Kisame said to Jūzo, nudging his partner. It was very weird for Naruto to not see Itachi standing there with a straight face beside Kisame, but Jūzo definitely fit the cold stereotype Naruto was used to. "Do you know what we're here for?" He asked Naruto patronizingly.

Naruto hummed, pulling some crackers out of the pantry and closing it. "You're here to... take me away, I would assume? Like you took Fu from the Hidden Waterfall."

Kisame's eyebrows raised. "Well, kid, you certainly know a lot for a child home alone."

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Naruto returned, placing the crackers before the two dangerous men on the bar in the kitchen, and leaning back while waiting for the tea.

Jūzo, however, seemed to sense that something was off. "Kisame," he said quietly, "this was too easy."

"It was, wasn't it?" Naruto asked, sending his grin to Jūzo.

I want Kisame. Kurama's voice rumbled through his head. He got the best of me once, and I won't let it happen again.

He got the best of US, because we weren't a team back then. Naruto reminded his friend. We'll get Kisame back in good time.

"Are you trying to trap us, little fox?" The big blue man asked, picking up a cookie and removing his hat so he could bite into it.

Naruto shrugged. It wasn't like there was anyone coming for him. Kakashi was aware of the situation, but Naruto didn't think he knew it was happening right now. Naruto wasn't very nervous, though, because he'd been through this with Kisame before. Kisame was probably the biggest threat out of the two of them due to his absolutely massive chakra reserves, even without a Tailed Beast. Though Naruto was very confused as to why Juzo Biwa was still alive, considering he was killed by the Yondaime Mizukage in the original timeline. The butterfly effect of Hashirama, Madara, Mito and Tobirama being the time travelers of their generation was getting a little hard to track.

On Juzo's back was Kubikiribocho, which was weird since the last time Naruto had seen the big sword, it had been in the hands of Zabuza Momochi, who was good now and living with his protege Haku.

What could Madara and Hashirama have possibly done to affect Juzo Biwa's life? It didn't really make any sense, but Naruto wasn't really willing to reason it out with the two of them literally sitting at his mom's marble bar eating crackers. Well, Kisame was eating. Juzo was professional.

"You're not even a little bit afraid?" Kisame asked with interest. "We've taken a Jinchuriki before, and they prided themselves on how afraid she was. We can't lose to two losers like them." He looked at Juzo, raising an eyebrow. "Can we rough him up a little?"

"Before tea?" Juzo drawled, obviously sarcastically.

"Fine, after tea. It isn' t like he can contact anyone with us standing right in front of him." Kisame decided, clasping his hands together patiently. "Surely a little brat like you will cave and be afraid soon."

Naruto, who was still leaning on his kitchen counter, raised a blonde eyebrow. "Mmmhmm, surely." He replied agreeably, clearly not agreeing at all. Naruto had faced a Rabbit Goddess, and as strong as Kisame was, he was in the middle of a ninja village full of some of the most powerful people in the world. He wouldn't last a minute. So forgive him if the fear was a little hard to summon.

"I don't know if I enjoy your attitude, or if I want to rip your face off." Kisame laughed pleasantly.

The tea kettle went off, and Naruto stood straight again, pulling three cups out and pouring the hot water into them.

"Did you have a safe trip here?" He asked cheerfully, acting as if he wasn't about to get kidnapped.

"Oh yes, it was lovely. We got to see the sights, bump into disrespectful merchants whose body parts are strewn on the Hokage Monument, etcetera etcetera." Kisame replied.

Naruto's heart thudded dangerously. A man had died today, and Naruto hadn't known about it. And his body was on the Hokage Monument? That was a very obvious place to put one.

Hey, I need some help, 'ttebayo-

I know, I have a guy there right now.

Naruto blinked in confusion at that comment by Kakashi. Someone was here?

Who?

You'll see.

Naruto looked around covertly. He couldn't see any signs of a person inside his house. Maybe the person was late?

Naruto made the two Akatsuki members their tea. "Cream? Sugar?" He asked them.

Jūzo shook his head, taking a sip of his drink without anything in it. Kisame snorted. "Jūzo's crazy, brat. I'll take some sugar and cream in mine."

Naruto nodded, complying and handing the other Akatsuki member his cup. Naruto took a sip of his own, with three sugars in it, and stared at Kisame and Jūzo thoughtfully.

"Your plan is never going to work, you know." Naruto informed them nonchalantly, taking a sip of his tea.

"Isn't it?" Jūzo asked curiously, taking another drink of his tea. "Why not?"

"Because you're in Konohagakure." Naruto informed them, as if they hadn't traveled hours to arrive in this village and knew exactly where they were. "We're a little different here."

"What about this village makes you different than everywhere else?" Jūzo mused, setting his cup down peacefully and folding his hands over his lap.

Naruto grinned. "We're crazy, but we like to call it 'the will of fire' so it sounds better."

Kisame scoffed, laughing out loud. "That explains why a kid of... twelve? Is sitting here entertaining two grown missing nin."

Naruto went to the dining table, taking a seat and putting his feet on the table in a way that he would NEVER do if Kushina was in the house. His hand drifted below the wooden table, and Naruto's fingers fumbled underneath the table for a second, before they finally found what he was looking for. A seal, stuck to the bottom of the table. He sent a flare of chakra into it.

A seal that would warn Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki that there was someone in the house to take their son.

"You have a lovely home for a Jinchuriki." Kisame examined the house, looking at the pictures and smiling evilly. "Your mom's a pretty thing, isn't she?"

Naruto's fists clenched on instinct at the threat against his mother. "My village is more lenient about our Jinchuriki since my Fox and I tend to agree."

"Do you?" Kisame asked. "Is it possible that a little brat like you is a perfect Jinchuriki? What do you agree on?"

"We agree on many things." Naruto said, a dangerous glint appearing in his blue eyes. For a moment, Kisame thought that they had changed shade, almost a dark orange, but surely that was just a trick of the light. "But recently we've agreed that you're our next meal."

Naruto looked up, his eyes slits. He had tried to stop it, but Kurama's orange chakra had leaked out and was now surrounding him. It wasn't the raw, red chakra of a Jinchuriki who didn't know better- this was the controlled, orange chakra of a professional.

Kisame's sword rumbled on his back, clearly sensing a powerful chakra. The threat didn't quite intimidate the Akatsuki members, but it caused the previously casual air to change into one that promised bloodshed. Jūzo put down his tea cup, and cracked his knuckles. Kisame had already stood up.

"Sure you don't want to just surrender, Fox?" The blue man asked, removing his hat. A shark-like grin stretched over his face. "We could end this quick."

"I'm good." Naruto uncrossed his arms. "Now, let's get out of my house before we ruin it for my parents."

Kisame and Jūzo watched cautiously as Naruto pulled out a kunai, and lunged forward, but the two couldn't move because Naruto was surrounded by orange chakra and was now faster than them. Naruto sent Chakra into his kunai, which just happened to belong to his dad, and grabbed both Kisame and Jūzo by the arm, teleporting them outside.

Not only were they outside, but they were in the outskirts of the village, a few paces away from where Kisame and Itachi had fought Asuma, Kurenai, Kakashi and Guy in their past life. This was way different, though, because Itachi wasn't with Kisame, and Kurenai and Asuma were probably with their kid. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Guy.

Naruto was across from them instead, standing on the ground, while Kisame and Jūzo stood near the water.

Strategy wise, that was probably not a good thing, but Naruto really couldn't bring himself to care. He knew he was stronger than them, but he also knew that Kisame was called the Tailless Tailed Beast for a reason- Guy-sensei had to use the 6th Gate to beat a clone with 30% of Kisame's chakra in the past, and it had taken a move by both Killer B and A (their famous Double Lariat) to kill another clone. Naruto was not stupid.

So it really didn't matter what battlefield Naruto chose, because Kisame could pull water from anywhere, and multiply it so he was in charge of the fight no matter what.

But Jūzo was a wild card, and that freaked Naruto out a little. He didn't know much about the Akatsuki member- only enough to recognize him, because he owned a Bingo Book. He had known that he was Itachi's old partner before the Yondaime Mizukage killed him, but other than that? Not much. But Biwa was currently in posession of Kubikiribōchō, so if the legends were correct... Naruto was screwed.

In his stint in the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist, Jūzo was known for, (and reveled in) dying fields red with the blood of his decapitated enemies.

The two of them were an almost unbeatable partnership, for a normal person. But for Naruto? He didn't think they were completely unbeatable.

There was something different about the way that Jūzo and Kisame acted compared to how Kisame had acted around Itachi. Itachi and Kisame had been a unit. Almost friends. Now, Jūzo was working with Kisame, and the two looked like they'd been shoved together. That was odd, considering that Kisame and Jūzo had more in common, both being from the Blood Mist Village, and both being Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

They were both water types, which was also strange because in their last life, Itachi and Kisame had been paired up partly because of their compatibility as people, partly because of their fire-water balance. Itachi and Kisame had been complete opposites in every way, and that was why Itachi had gotten along with Kisame.

This pairing seemed a little odd.

Maybe...

An idea suddenly struck him. Maybe whoever had teamed them up had taken one of them from a different pair? Who else in the original Akatsuki could've worked with Kisame the effective way that Itachi had? No one, was the answer his head came up with. No one I know. Naruto's mind whispered, which unsettled him so much that he wanted to throw up, suddenly.

There was no time to think about it, because Kisame was looking around and laughing. "You didn't want us to ruin your pretty little house, Fox?"

"If you've met my mom, you'd understand why." Naruto quipped, his energy making him bounce a little bit in place. "Are we gonna fight, or are you two gonna monologue like basic villains?"

"I'm waiting for the second player to show himself." Kisame replied. "Your chakra isn't the only one Samehada senses."

Naruto froze.

Kakashi who is your guy?

You'll see

Where are you guys??

Kakashi didn't answer. Neither did Sasuke and Sakura. That was not good news.

"Second," Kisame called, "show yourself! You can hide from me, but not from my sword."

Naruto gasped as a group of crows swooped in, flying in a circle right beside him. He was afraid he'd be hit by them, but as suddenly as they came, they were gone. And in their place stood Itachi Uchiha, in full ANBU garb.

From inside Naruto, Kurama laughed at the irony. Did Kakashi do that on purpose? I wonder if he's somewhere with a camera, The Nine Tailed Fox mused.

Naruto gaped. This isn't funny! Kakashi could get Itachi killed. Sasuke is gonna be SO PISSED OFF. Where the hell is he, anyway? Naruto asked his fox partner.

Kurama laughed even more. How am I suppose to know, kit?

Kuramaaa, Naruto whined, before rolling his eyes. He watched Kisame and Juzo tense up at the sight of the well known ANBU member. Okay, maybe this is a little funny.

"Naruto," Itachi's voice caught his attention. "For a prodigy, you sure are an idiot."

-

Itachi was getting mighty tired of people coming through his window at ungodly hours to ask him for favors.

Kakashi had started it, of course, by asking him to babysit Team 7 during the Chunin Exams. Itachi did that without complaint.

Then, Obito had started doing it for late-night food stealing during long missions because he was a Gen X'er on the cusp of being a millennial and no way would any self respecting Aquarius would have enough food at his house. Itachi was forced to help him because Obito had secured him a regular supply of dango.

Now Shisui had taken the habit up for random therapy sessions. Which Itachi would've been fine with, if the 'therapy sessions' hadn't been used to cry about Shisui's latest girlfriend instead of his crippling anxiety.

And Itachi was always tired, which wasn't helping anything. He was a natural introvert, so being around people, his friends, anyone really emotionally drained him. The only people he could think of that weren't emotional drains were his little brother, and his mother.

And Itachi had just spent three, nonstop days around people. The first day was spent with Fugaku, learning about the Uchiha police. (Itachi was a little surprised that his father was the most emotionally draining person he knew, but not at all surprised at the same time).

The second day was on a long mission with his ANBU team. Unfortunately, he had a pretty chatty girl, appropriately named Chatra who would not shut up about her girlfriend. Any other day, Itachi would've been extremely happy to hear about the Adventures of Chatra and Hiromi (after all, he had been one of the ones to help get them together) but today he was just tired, and her nonstop chatter made him exasperated.

Then, the day after that, Mikoto announced that Itachi was going with them to Uncle Minato's house for a 'little celebration' which Itachi knew consisted of everyone and their brother. Before they left, Fugaku forced him to attend a clan meeting, and then had put him in charge as a surprise, which was like throwing a four year old into the lake and telling them to swim. Not that Itachi didn't handle the situation with grace and insight, as Fugaku had always commanded from him when it came to his

That experience had made him want to go into a coma like Lord Minato had. The shitty old men had completely ruined people for him for the rest of his life.

So when Kakashi woke him up extra early this morning for what he dubbed a 'mission', Itachi was pissed. But he was pissed quietly, because if Itachi Uchiha were ever pissed loudly, Fugaku would have an aneurism on the spot. (Itachi had given up on calling him 'father' ages ago.)

Unlike Sasuke, Itachi had a reputation to maintain amongst his clan members. Sasuke was hardly ever around, considered the Absent Heir. The Emotional Heir. The one who was incredible powerful but the talent was Wasted on Him.

Itachi hated that. He loved his clan, of course, but every interaction with said clan drove him absolutely insane. Itachi would love to take his brother and stay so far away from them that they could both recover in peace. He hated the responsibilities that had been handed to him as the eldest son of the Uchiha clan leader.

When Itachi stepped up to take more responsibilities, he had made one thing expressly clear to his clan: Sasuke was not to be disrespected while Itachi lived and breathed.

No one knew why the eldest had taken such a firm stance on that, aside from the fact that the brothers were blindingly loyal to each other- above everyone else. Everyone knew that. Sasuke had proved over and over again that if it was a choice between the Uchiha and his brother, it was easy. The feeling was entirely mutual.

But Itachi was also ANBU, so he wasn't always there either. That was why Itachi was relieved that it would be a while yet before Fugaku retired, and Itachi was promoted to the head of the Uchiha, because he honestly didn't know how much of the clan's incessant whining he could take.

But I digress. Itachi Uchiha woke up with a splitting headache after a day of catering to his clan's whims to Kakashi Hatake knocking on his window.

Itachi groaned, getting out of bed to open it for him. Kakashi skipped in cheerfully, a grin on his face. "How many times do I have to tell you to go through the front door? You're tripping all my traps." Itachi complained, clearly exhausted. "What do you want?"

"I need a small favor."

Itachi groaned wiping a hand down his face. What could he want this early in the morning? "Kakashi, it's 5:00 AM. I went to bed two hours ago after three days of no sleep, and five hours of running around with a bunch of kids. Please, leave me alone."

"I know, and I'm sorry to have to ask you for this." Kakashi winced, which showed he was being genuine. Itachi sighed deeply. He never could say no to his friend, unfortunately, so whatever it was that Kakashi wanted, one way or another, Itachi would be doing it. "Just a little mission, I promise. I think Naruto's in danger."

Itachi blinked. "What?"

-

Kakashi ditched him soon after with two Instructions: Watch The House, and Don't Let Anyone Take Naruto.

Which, duh.

Even if Naruto wasn't Itachi's beloved little brother's best friend, Itachi wouldn't allow the Jinchuriki of the damn Nine Tails to fall into the wrong hands.

And then two suspicious men walked up the road wearing red and black cloaks and fucking stupid straw hats and they knocked on Minato and Kushina's door.

And then Naruto opened the door, and then Let Them In

Itachi could not restrain a few choice curses from his hiding spot in the trees, mourning the fact that his charge was a dreadful idiot.

Itachi prepared himself to enter the scene, before he noticed something: or specifically, the lack of something. Kushina's house hadn't exploded. There were no screams, nothing incriminating at all. It was like Naruto had invited two Akatsuki members to tea.

Which was a dumbass thought, for sure.

So imagine his surprise when he snuck closer to the house, carefully masking his chakra, and peeked into the kitchen window to find Naruto doing eXACTLY THE DUMBASS IDEA ITACHI THOUGHT HE WOULD NEVER DO.

Resisting the urge to bash his head into the wall for fear of it making noise, Itachi focused instead on reading their body language.

Itachi saw Naruto tap the seal, and he saw Naruto twitch to jump the Akatsuki members with his dad's kunai. Itachi trailed the chakra signature Naruto had left behind, (the Nine Tails' chakra was kinda hard to ignore) and ended up standing beside Naruto facing two Missing-nin.

(It was just like Jiraiya-sama had suspected. The mysterious Akatsuki was recruiting powerful people who had defected from their villages, because now that he wasn't looking at the back of their heads he recognized Kisame Hoshigaki and Jūzo Biwa.)

((Goddammit Naruto))

So now it was just him and Naruto, standing in front of two Akatsuki members like fucking morons.

So forgive Itachi for being more than a little Pissy when he said, "Naruto, for a prodigy you sure are an idiot." In his defense, that was the tamest word that was going through his kind at that time.

"How much dango does Kakashi owe you?" Naruto asked, never taking his eyes off their opponents. "I'll double it."

That almost made up for it.

"If you don't get kidnapped."

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah, if I don't get kidnapped."

"He's gonna get kidnapped." Someone shouted over, catching Itachi's attention. Hoshigaki had said that, Itachi registered. His eyebrows raised. He'd never taken the brutish missing-nin as the type to have a sense of humor. "Itachi Uchiha," the blue man drawled, lazily removing his famous blade from his back. "The Uchiha Clan's Reaper."

Itachi didn't like that name. That was a moniker gifted to him by the Yondaime Mizukage when Itachi assassinated him a couple years ago.

He'd been fourteen. It was kind of an accident. Itachi didn't like thinking about it.

But then he'd kind of been hailed as some kind of hero by the new Mizukage, an incredibly powerful woman named Mei Terumi because Itachi had somehow ended the reign of terror that Yagura had helped to inflict upon the Mist. That had been a very confusing week.

All of this to say, Itachi had an ugly case of Imposter Syndrome and freaking hated that nickname, but for some reason, as if the Universe hated him, the nickname stuck. So now every mission Itachi carried out, people identified him as the Reaper. It was extremely irritating, but as Shisui pointed out, it was an intimidating moniker. Shisui was one of the most powerful in the clan, and he had been stuck with the name "Shisui of the Body Flicker", which didn't exactly inspire fear. (Don't worry, basic knowledge of Shisui's incredible feats more than made up for the lack of fear the nickname brought)

"Kisame Hoshigaki." Itachi replied, realizing he'd been so lost in thought that he hadn't answered the mass murderer.  "The Tailless Tailed Beast."

Kisame sneered. "I don't suppose you'd keep your eyes away from us as a favor?"

Itachi didn't bother answering that question. It was time to get serious, now. Itachi remembered a lot about Kisame from the bingo books, enough to know that he was the biggest threat. No one knew much about Jūzo. He'd been relatively quiet since his defection. In fact, no one had really been certain that Jūzo was alive. Itachi supposed that meant that anyone on the Bingo Book could be in the Akatsuki, and that was not a comforting thought.

Sharingan, he thought to himself, turning on his incredible eyes to the first level.

"You insult me, Reaper." Kisame smiled that shark like smile that sent a chill down Itachi's spine. "And to think we were thinking of recruiting you, years ago."

Itachi's eyebrows raised fractionally. He was a considered recruit for the Akatsuki? That was odd. He'd been considered by Orochimaru as a potential Curse Mark option too. What was it about him and his brother that screamed, "seconds away from falling off the deep end and betraying our village"? Was he not clear enough in his loyalty?

Itachi snorted at the thought of himself in those black and red cloaks, wearing that stupid looking hat. If only they'd approached him, then he might have a better idea on who they were dealing with. Maybe he even would've met the elusive leader of the group- the man even Jiraiya-sama was worried about.

"They take orders from someone." Jiraiya leaned over his coffee conspiratorially. "No one I've talked to knows who it is, whether it's a man or not. I've heard rumblings that whoever it is is trying to collect the Jinchuriki."

"Why would he do that?" Lady Tsunade snorted, taking a swig of her sake.

"Why are you assuming it's a man?" Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.

"Because only a man would be that stupid." Tsunade replied, looking at Itachi and Shisui and bursting into laughter.  Shisui laughed uproariously as well. Itachi just shrugged.

"Either way," Jiraiya waved his hand dismissively. "Everyone I've talked to is deathly afraid of him. They call him Kuroshibyō."

"Naruto," Itachi said quietly, shaking his head to forget the memory that popped up out of nowhere. "I'm going to take out the most powerful player. Can you handle Biwa until backup shows up?"

"Probably." Naruto answered, the complete certainty in his tone convincing Itachi.

He nodded curtly. "Use long range jutsu so he can't get at your neck." Itachi advised carefully, voice lowered so no one on the other side could hear him. "He fights primarily with his sword, and he's a devil with it. So keep your distance from it from it, and do not, under any circumstances, use your Rasengan, because no matter how fast you think you are, he will decapitate you." Naruto dipped his head at Itachi's advice, and Itachi thought some more, for any last minute thoughts he could share with Naruto before needing to focus on his own battle. "Do your best to get him away from water."

"Got it, thanks Itachi." Naruto smiled. "This might be fun, 'ttebayo!" Itachi rolled his eyes at Naruto's assertion. Only Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze would consider a showdown against the organization that wanted to take his Bijuu 'fun'.

"Don't look at his eyes," Jūzo was saying to Kisame as Naruto and Itachi settled into their fighting stances.

"Of course, I know how to fight a damn Uchiha, Biwa, I'm not an infant." Kisame bit at his teammate, making Itachi raise one eyebrow.

Hm, Itachi thought, his face not changing even a little as he assessed the situation. They don't know that I don't need my eyes to catch them in a genjutsu. And they don't get along.

Itachi ran forward, and Kisame followed him, the two of them moving away from Naruto and Jūzo carefully. Naruto was following his advice, turning tail and running when Jūzo came too close, swinging Kubikiribōchō. He had fought Zabuza before, apparently, but not every swordsman was similar in style.

Itachi focused on his own fight, leading Kisame further out into the water, which was not his most clever idea, but he'd needed to get Kisame away from Naruto, because if Samehada sucked out enough of Naruto's chakra, that would be a very, very big problem.

Kisame unleashed a flurry of water-related jutsu on him. "Doiru Suiyari no Jutsu!" He commanded, making the appropriate hand signs, and the water formed into two giant drill-like shapes, attacking Itachi relentlessly.

He flipped back, avoiding the drills as much as possible. His eyes were a definite help for this, because the Uchiha could copy and avoid any jutsu.

"Doiru Suiyari no Jutsu," Itachi whispered, mimicking the hand signs he'd seen Kisame use, and duo drills of his own formed in the water and attacked the other drills. Soon, the drills were so focused on fighting each other that there was no use for them.

The jutsu dispelled at the same time, and Kisame frowned.

"Suiton, Daibakufu no Jutsu." Kisame's calm voice spoke, and Itachi's lips pursed as a huge cyclone, turned on its side, traveled the body of water over to where Itachi was standing.

"Katon, gyokakkyu no Jutsu," Itachi called forth a great ball of fire, the likes of which some people hadn't seen before, and easily turned most of the water into stream. What was left, Itachi had managed to jump over.

I can't keep fighting with him. If he brings out his incredible chakra, I'll have to use Amaterasu, and that's going to hurt. Itachi had used Amaterasu recently on a mission, and soon after that, his eyes had started blurring. Itachi was concerned at the toll that the Mangekyo Sharingan was taking on his eyes, and considering seeing Lady Tsunade about it, but as of right now, he had no choice. He had to end this, and fast.

"Mangekyo Sharingan," he said. His eyes stung with the effort, but it was going to be fine. Itachi looked at the blue man, who was apparently starting another jutsu, and pointed at him using a single finger. The last thing he saw saw Kisame's eyes widening before the shark-man was caught in a genjutsu.

"Tsukuyomi."

-

Itachi had previously used Tsukuyomi for two things: interrogation and torture.

Interrogation was a term used loosely, as he could draw memories from a person's head. He could interrogate a person with a locked head, like another village's special ops members. Torture was... difficult. The first time he'd tortured someone using the Tsukuyomi, he'd slept for three days straight because of the emotional and physical toll it has taken on his body. And he hadn't liked it. The person had never recovered, and died in a coma.

A pacifist at heart, Itachi despised hurting people, although he understood that sometimes it was necessary.

However... Kisame stood before him, looking around the blank space, floating in midair.

"What should I do with you?" Itachi asked, materializing from the crows that were flapping all over Itachi's dreamscape, providing him with an omniscient point of view. This action appeared to startle Kisame, who was completely paralyzed.

Itachi hummed thoughtfully as Kisame stood still, obviously stubbornly. Itachi extended his hand and tapped Kisame's forehead. If the man could move, judging by his face, Itachi would be gutted.

He didn't want to employ the harsh techniques of the Tsukuyomi- he didn't think anyone deserved that kind of pain. Itachi sent his chakra into Kisame's brain, and found all sorts of locks that were placed on it by important people from the Mist, someone from the Akatsuki, etcetera etcetera.

Kisame Hoshigaki knew some important secrets, and Itachi Uchiha was a master at picking locks.

It took him twenty minutes to get through the first lock, which showed moments from Kisame's memories of the Mist. Being a soldier, specifically. Those had been deemed less important, apparently.

Itachi watched Kisame come to care about a sweet girl from the Cypher devision, and then eventually need to kill her and her entire team to keep Ibiki Morino from finding out important intel, on orders from his mentor in the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, Fuguki Suikazan.

Itachi watched as Kisame discovered the said mentor was a corrupt hypocrite, selling information about the Mist to the highest bidder. So in other words, Kisame had murdered someone with the potential to be important to him on the orders of someone who had sold them out in the first place.

Kisame killed his mentor.

And then a shadow... a man had reached out. The Yondaime Mizukage had admired Kisame's striving for the truth. And the Mizukage Yagura lead Kisame to someone, someone shrouded in darkness, who had been meddling in the Mist for a very, very long time.

Who was it? Itachi pressed, realizing that this piece of information was vital. Who is that?

He strained to see, but that piece of information was locked by another lock. The biggest, most intimidating lock in Kisame's head. The only thing Itachi knew about the shadow was the echo of his voice through Kisame's head.

"I can offer you a world of truth. The complete destruction of lies."

Kisame had latched onto that with a fervent energy- the idea of living an a completely honest world. The absence of untruths was tantalizing, for him.

Itachi wondered if maybe Kisame wasn't that bad after all.

Itachi backed out of Kisame's memories, knowing that it would be harder to crack Kisame's other locks because Itachi didn't have the chakra for that right now after 3 days straight of little sleep and nutrition.

Itachi stared at the blue man who was trapped in his mind, and frowned. It was odd, Itachi thought, how Kisame's motivation to become a villain was so similar to Itachi's own mindset.

They were complete opposites, as people. Clearly, Kisame was a violent, raging sort of man with a deep need for the truth, no matter how many cities he had to burn down to get it. Itachi was a pacifist, a calm person who was content with lies so long as they kept the peace. For some reason, Itachi got the feeling that they would've made good partners, in another life.

Opposites always worked the best together. For example: Naruto and Sasuke balanced each other perfectly. Obito and Kakashi were very much the same way.

Itachi frowned, before turning away from the man in thought. They couldn't ever be teammates, but maybe Itachi could help Kisame out, somehow. He snapped his fingers, and Kisame was brought back from his brief traipse through his memories, glaring at Itachi stubbornly.

"Your idea of truth is flawed." Was the first thing that escaped Itachi's lips. "The truth is different for every single person. Your idea of the truth is that there is a set reality, one version of the truth that some people twist for their own benefit. That is incorrect. Everyone's reality is different, therefore the truth is different for everyone. Using that logic, every person is living in a world of their own, shaped by their own beliefs, and therefore that makes your quest for truth obsolete."

Kisame tensed up, now finding out exactly what Itachi had dug into in his head.

"Reality, knowledge... those are both fluid concepts for people like you and I. Find something solid to stand on." Itachi turned to face Kisame, meeting his eyes and narrowing his own. "Don't allow someone to manipulate you into ruining your life in exchange for another lie."

Itachi released the genjutsu, and Kisame stumbled, keeping himself standing on the water, but clearly destabilized.

Jūzo, who was fleeing from Naruto, this time, had returned to find his partner on his knees. It was clear that the two of them were not doing so well, so a tactical retreat would be best. Itachi could've told them that hours ago.

Jūzo lifted Kisame by the arms and shot a glare at Itachi, moving to go away.

"Don't come back!" Naruto crowed, watching Jūzo flash step away. Naruto came to a stop beside Itachi, extending a hand for a fist bump. Itachi's lips quirked into a smile, and he fist bumped Naruto. "We make a good team, Itachi!"

Itachi's soft smile turned into a wicked smirk. "We do, don't we?"

Naruto winced. "I owe you a lot of dango, don't I?"

"You owe me so much dango." Itachi nodded, before he swayed on his feet. Naruto caught him before Itachi could fall into the water, his chakra faltering a little and getting his heels wet. After Naruto caught him, Itachi stabilized again, pushing his chakra into the water steadily.

"You okay?" Naruto asked, a concerned expression on his face.

Itachi stood up straight. "I'm fine, I just have a headache."

"Your eyes are bleeding." Naruto bit his lip.

Itachi touched his cheeks. He hadn't even felt the rivulets of a liquid slipping down his cheeks. He pulled his hand away and looked on his palm, finding red.

"Well, then." Itachi muttered, vision blurring a little bit. "That's not good."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Let's get you to Granny Tsunade."

"No, I'm fine-"

"Hey, guys," Kakashi poofed into existence beside them, appearing out of nowhere in that irritating way he often did. "Damn, you look bad, Itachi."

"I hate you." Itachi intoned, taking a step forward and almost losing his step. "Okay, Naruto, it would probably be a good idea to get me to Lady Tsunade."

"Let's go." Naruto agreed, slipping an arm under Itachi's. Kakashi did the same, and the two supported Itachi until he got to dry land, and Itachi wanted to walk by himself. "Where are Sasuke and Sakura?" Naruto asked Kakashi as they made their way back into the village.

Kakashi's eyes sparkled. "I gave them their own little mission."

'Little mission' was how Kakashi had described the fight for Itachi as well. 'It's only a little mission, Itachi, just a little favor. Help me out, won't you?' Kakashi would always ask, big grey eyes impossible to turn down.

Itachi really had to learn how to say no to people. "I've mentioned that I hate you, right?" Itachi asked Kakashi, looking a little pale.

"Love you too, my friend." Kakashi laughed good naturedly.

If Itachi wasn't feeling so weak, he would deck Kakashi in his masked teeth.

<>

ALRIGHTTTTT

I'm getting back in my groove peeps. Take this mega chapter as a thank you for continuing to read :) I hope y'all appreciate my dry humor aksdjskek

I love you all soooooooo much
Hugs hugs. Please forgive me, because this is kinda unedited bc I wanted to get this out to you guys as soon as possible

I'm back on my brand!!!!! Writing Itachi's POV again makes me irrationally happy. And, I've totally missed him. It's all been about

"team 7 this, team 7 that"

And here come y'all in the comments, "Julia, you can't get sick of team 7-"

*channels her inner tiktoker* man FUCK team 7

(I'm just kidding I love them) ((but seriously I missed Itachi SO MUCH))
You all know I'm obsessed with the poor guy. Also you guys are gonna have to pry the Kisame and Itachi friendship from my cold dead hands

N E WAYS LOVE YOU ALL. New chapter coming soon maybe?